Sunday, January 14, 2007
Dear Puleo Family We extend our heartfelt love to you at this time. Peter Puleo was much more than a friend to us and to so many in Northern New York, Vermont and Southern Quebec Canada. He will be missed and remembered fondly by hundreds of people in this region; pastors, leaders, Americans and Canadians. WE met Peter in 1976 very shortly after we were saved and we began attending Peter's Sunday night meetings at Barringer School. A couple special vivid memories will remain with me forever; the music by Bill Keifer and the Praise band and maybe 70 people joining in spontaneous praise singing in tongues as the sound of many waters mentioned in Revelation just blew me away; I recall it vividly today; and Peter and Bill taught 12 weeks on who we are in Christ...teaching which became a sound foundation and material I revisit and counsel with frequently. And finally, the second meeting EVER I attended at Barringer Peter spent the entire time on his face in the aisle. To a new Christian this spoke volumes about his humility and deep desire to serve Jesus. ( Actually I wondered what this guy was doing taking the night off, and God corrected me). Peter visited the North country many times in the 80's conducting healing and outstanding God filled meetings, ministering to some of our Canadian friends and many of the people in the region. Those meetings resulted in physical and inner healings, great growth in many people and in the churches of the area as people were shown the God of such love and desire. And what was often equally impacting was the fact that the person delivering really LIVED the WORD and made it so uncomplicated, and was always so down-to-earth and approachable. You undoubtedly know the very close relationship Peter and our family enjoyed;my children were introduced to the Holy Spirit by Peter and once he ministered to a group of teens in my front room explaining the laying on of hands and falling under the power and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, while the adults were struggling with glee to be quiet in the next room. The young people loved Peter and we all gathered later to worship and praise ( and of course eat)in our home. Peter and I had a very brotherly relationship. I could ask him any questions and he had beautiful answers, and we shared our heart with one another. We very often traded puns and jokes and had such good times. Once before a meeting, we went for a drive around the area listening to tapes and praying in tongues. We passed a drive in theater which advertised X rated movies on the marquis, and Peter cursed it; within a year the theater was torn down and before another year the local branch of the Social Security Office was built there where it stands today. And we would joke and trade puns ad naseum ( I am sure you know what I mean) real fun. Once we were traveling in the country doing so and he stopped the car, jumped out facing a corn field, spread his hands and said,"Oh you who have ears to hear..." I had to tell him to get in the car before you get run over! I always had the privilege of introducing Peter before meetings. Once Arthur Bechard had a tent set up on his property for meetings and I concluded my very (I thought) flattering remarks, by reminding Peter that way up here we have 2 offerings; IF the speaking is acceptable to excellent we take up a monetary gift for the speaker; if it is not we have a Heave offering...and the speaker is what we heave. He loved that! He is part of our family. I told him we let him out of the closet annually, but he really is a very dear part of our family, and remains so. We spent many wonderful hours and years together; he set us up with a room at Sam Sevallo's in Utica once and we went to Zion ( several times). My wife Estella and our children all love Peter. He baptised my children Wendy and Steven and introduced them to the baptism of the Holy Spirit; he married Steven and Michele and Katie and Adrian; he prayed for Dan and Timothy - especially when Tim was diagnosed with problems in France and Steven and I went to get him...Peter had a healing touch and Word for Timothy. He prayed over , with and for all of us frequently. And Stella and I consider him our mentor; other than Estella and my natural brother I consider Peter my closest friend. And family. So our note to you is you are also "family" here in the North country, and if we can do anything...or if you are in the area let us know and we expect you to stop by and or call...all the family... we know you even if we never met...and we extend our love to you as we have to our Precious brother Peter ( who is defiinitely dancing before the Lord and telling corny jokes Jesus must love)! May the Lord bless you and give you the peace that passes understanding. Gary & Estella Wagoner